020
FXAK69 PAFG 192217
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
117 PM AKST Wed Nov 19 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
Snow continues on the West Coast as a low moves from south to
north over St. Lawrence Island through tomorrow. Isolated areas of
heavy snow are possible, especially in St. Lawrence Island and
southern Seward Peninsula through tomorrow morning. Lighter snow
and snow showers will reside in the Yukon Delta through Saturday.
The Interior will see light to moderate snow begin to develop
Friday afternoon and continue into Sunday. On the North Slope,
light snow will develop as well from east to west on Friday and
continue through the weekend.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Sunny and dry today, clouds increasing tomorrow with snow
  showers developing along the AlCan Border north of Eagle.

- Light to moderate snow develops across most of the Interior by
  Friday night and continues through Sunday. Several inches of
  snow possible from Tanana to the AlCan Border.

- High temperatures in the teens and low 20s with lows near or
  below zero through the weekend.

West Coast and Western Interior...
- Snow continues for the Bering Strait Region through tomorrow.
  Heaviest snow will be in St. Lawrence Island and Diomede with
  additional accumulations up to 6 inches in Gambell and Savoonga.
 - Locally heavier "ocean-effect snow" bands can bring brief high
    rates of snow up to 1" per hour tonight.

- Wind gusts along the West Coast increase tonight, gusting 30 to
  40 mph in most spots and up to 50 mph in the Bering Strait and
  St. Lawrence Island.

- Weather quiets down gradually tomorrow but light snow lingers,
  especially in SW AK and the Western Interior through the
  weekend. A few inches of snow is possible.

- High temperatures in the 20s and low 30s with lows in the teens
  and 20s through the weekend, coldest in the Interior.


North Slope and Brooks Range..
- Partly clear skies today and tomorrow, but it will become
  cloudier through tomorrow.

- Light snow develops from east to west on Friday with steady
  light snow from the Brooks Range northward through the weekend.
  A few inches of snow are possible.

- High temperatures will be in the teens and 20s with lows in the
  single digits through the weekend.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...
Working from the top down, at 500mb there is broad 491 decameter
longwave trough centered over Wrangel Island. Downwind of this
trough is a 498 decameter low moving towards St. Lawrence Island
through tonight. This progression northwest will help tighten a
pressure gradient resulting in strong wind. In the Interior,
south/southwesterly flow aloft is keeping it dry however, there
will be increasing clouds tomorrow.

A low in the NPAC will move into the AK Peninsula tomorrow morning
at around 493 decameters. This will send a strong front northward
into the Interior late tomorrow and into Friday. The front appears
to run into a 520 decameter ridge over the Beaufort Sea on Friday
causing it to stall and undergo weak cyclogenesis near the Eastern
Brooks Range/northern Yukon Territory. As a weak upper low
gradually develops, it will wrap moisture from the Bering Sea lows
to the Interior. The upper level energy, mid level moisture and
cold temperatures will combine to produce widespread light to
moderate snow this weekend across most of the Interior and North
Slope.

Getting into the snowfall, ocean-effect snow is likely to enhance
some of the snowfall rates in St. Lawrence Island and Bering
Strait Coast tonight. Localized heavy snow along with increasing
wind may result in blizzard conditions. Difficult travel
conditions are expected with low visibility down to one-quarter
mile at times. Additional snow accumulations up to 6 inches
expected. Winter Storm Warnings remain in Effect for the Interior
Seward Peninsula, Bering Strait Coast and St. Lawrence Island.

In the Interior, widespread light to moderate snow from Friday
through the weekend may accumulate pretty substantially in some
spots. There is a bit of uncertainty with where the highest
snowfall totals reside, but widespread amounts up to 4 inches are
expected with localized spots receiving over 6 inches of snow. A
few GEFS, ECMWF Ens and CMC Ens members are showing up to 12
inches of snow in Fairbanks, the White Mountains and Yukon Flats
but they are outliers currently. A Special Weather Statement has
been issued for the Interior and may be followed up by Winter
Weather Advisories or Winter Storm Watches tomorrow.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...
High pressure will continue to build for much of the state on
Sunday, bringing drier weather and colder temperatures by Monday.
A low pressure will build south of the Aleutian Islands on
Monday, however the high pressure will be stronger keeping the low
south of mainland Alaska. Ridging will continue through the
entirety of next week, keeping temperatures near or below normal.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Storm Warning for AKZ820-821-823-827.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802-803.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ805-852-857-858.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ806-812-817-851-854-858.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ806.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ807-856.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ807.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ808-855.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ809.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ810-816.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ810.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ811.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ812.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813>815-859.
     Gale Warning for PKZ816.
     Gale Warning for PKZ817-854.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ850-853.
     Gale Warning for PKZ851.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ852.
     Gale Warning for PKZ856.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ857.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ860-861.
&&

$$

BB
Extended - SCL